Monday, April 03, 2006
New York Hip Hop is Back?
Just Blaze takes a break from trying to carry NYC on his back.
(image courtesy Village Voice)
Busta Rhymes feat. Swizz Beats (prod. DJ Scratch) "NY Sh-t" (clean dirty instrumental) - so in the past couple weeks I've been feeling this little groundswell of a buzz around town about how NYC/East Coast hip hop is about to make a comeback. Apparently this "NY Sh-t" record and this artist are leading the way. Me? I've talked at length on this site about how the South won the war for hip hop supremacy in 2005 (also ask Sickamore) and I haven't seen or heard anything that's gonna change that least of all Papoose or this new Busta tracks that Flex & Hot 97 have been banging ad nauseum in a seeming attempt to whip up for some hometown support for a moribund NYC hip hop scene.
New York used to run this game because they made the best records, had the best MC's & producers and set the trends that the rest of the country followed. I hate to admit this but being from NYC nowadays is kind of wack and nobody cares about what's going on here. NY rappers now bite from their southern counterparts in an effort to stay relevant and the best sample 'n' chop beatsmiths on the East coast sound like dudes in 60's still making singles with that Sun recordings sound when George Martin had just produced Sgt. Peppers with The Beatles and Phil Spector, Jimi Hendrix and Pet Sounds were splitting wigs.
I hope the East and NY come back but, truth be told, I ain't holding my breath waiting for it to happen. But for those of you still carrying the torch, here's some more music and reading to keep yall occupied while the rest of us are rockin' our T.I., Clipse and Young Joc records:
More Papoose mp3's via Nah Right - is this guy really the MC to lead New York to MC supremacy??
Dinco D, ex of LONS with Busta, goes in and disses Busta HARD.
Speaking of Busta sidekicks, has anyone asked Spliff Star how he's feeling nowadays?
Just Blaze: savior of NY hip hop? (related: a converastion between Just Blaze and Alchemist)
A list of all the samples used on Fishscale (with audio samples!).
And finally yet more East Coast-ish hip hop for you purists to reminisce to courtesy Prefix.
